The CHARLES W. MORGAN, and everyone associated with
her, had a hectic and momentous summer of 2014. When the MORGAN returned home to Mystic Seaport in August, it
was after a successful cruise that saw her sail to New London, Newport, Vineyard Haven, New
Bedford, Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank, Boston and the Cape Cod Canal. While
two of the most memorable events would be her historic return to her home port
of New Bedford and her sail on Stellwagen Bank where she sailed with whales for
the first time in nearly a hundred years, her passage to New London from Mystic
will be one remembered by thousands. As she left Mystic Seaport in mid-May and headed down
river through the town’s famous bascule bridge, local marine artist Russ Kramer
caught the moment in an ink drawing on an envelope which he then
had canceled at the local post office, commemorating the event in fine fashion.
Cheering throngs lined the river from Mystic to Noank before she headed out
into the Sound to make her way to New London for her final fitting out and sea
trials prior to heading off on her historic journey.
Russ Kramer is a well-known, talented
marine artist with a studio in Mystic. He is currently the president of the
American Society of Marine Artists. You can view some of his work at http://www.russkramer.com/.
His gift of the illustrated envelope is one of many MORGAN-related pieces that
have made their way to us in 2014.